Personal Development Plan

In order for me to develop as professional, it is important that I be faced with challenges and learn from those challenges. It is at that moment that I have learned from that experience.

1. Job Rotation

Job Rotation is a great tool for my personal development plan because it allows me to pursue an additional challenge and take on an new responsibility every few weeks or months. Thus, when faced with challenges, I will have to make decisions and I will positively learn from my failures as well as from anything at which I am successful.


2. Tuition Reimbursement

I am constantly looking for ways to improve myself in my professional career. Therefore, if I feel like my employer is behind me in every step of the way by reimbursing me in some of my expenses then I will feel valued in my employment and seek out other opportunities to succeed in the company as well as in myself.


3. Externships

Sometimes it is important for people to learn from a similar professional at an off-site location for a specific time. This is a great idea because it would put me is a new environment and I might learn things in the new environment that I might not have noticed in my current environment. This gives me a new perspective and I would learn skills that I can put into action as soon as I return to my worksite.


4. Mentorships

I am pretty knowledgeable. However, as a professional, I do not know it all. Therefore, I would benefit from someone who knows more than me teaching me what they know as well as me mentoring someone who may be new to my field. Both of these reciprocals would spread my expertise as well as give me new perspectives from learning from others.

Making the case for employee development

Making the Case for Employee Development

Hi-Tech Training

Interactive video

The advantage of interactive video is that it is able to be stored on a CD or some other portable medium. The key part of this technology is that trainees are able to interact with the video either via a keyboard or by touching the screen. In the future, this type of technology will be beneficial because instead of having a CD set, the majority of it will be cloud-based which will make it easier for trainers.

http://www.edci.purdue.edu/lehman/edci663/ivd.html

Internet-based Training

         Internet-based training has really been on the rise as more and more people become interconnected worldwide via computers. Internet-based training is highly beneficial because trainees are able to complete training on-site or off-site. Internet-based training is also great because it can also include other technologies like interactive video and other technology-based subsidiaries.

http://www.webbasedtraining.com/primer_whatiswbt.aspx

Learning Portals

Learning portals are great because trainees are able to visit an area on the internet or a company's intranet and at this point the learner is able to complete trainings as well as keep up-to-date in their area of expertise. Learning portals may also include chatrooms and discussion boards and other collaboration methods that enable learners to stay connected with each others as well as with trainers.

http://www.teachwithportals.com/

Mobile Technology

             Mobile Technology is the real wave of the future. With the advent of Ipads and the ultra portability of cell phones, some companies have made training available on these devices. These devices allow the learner to have a more personal approach to training and the ability to access training off-site. Mobile technology is relatively new but as this technology becomes cheaper and more cost effective then it will become more widespread.

http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240118592/Mobile-technology-training-in-demand

Authoring Systems

Authoring systems are used by Instructional Designers to design their training programs. Authoring systems are used to create a great experience for the trainee in which they are given an opportunity to interact with the material that is intended for mastery.
            The impact of authoring systems is great because they allow Instructional Designers the opportunity to efficiently produce training modules, and they are budget-friendly. Therefore, in the future, the availability of authoring systems will continue to grow and become more user-friendly.


http://www.pro-ductivity.com/authoring.htm

http://www.ehow.com/info_8042651_training-technologies.html

Whole Foods: Performing a Needs Assessment

Stakeholders from which to receive buy-in

Customers: Whole foods is pretty expensive so it would not be where it is today without the support of the customer

Environmentalists: Whole foods is known for its environmental efforts and organic food as well as unconventional food efforts.

Associates and Managers: The employees and managers have to love their jobs in order for the company to be a success.

Trainers: These professionals are responsible for keeping employees current in their profession.

Questions to Ask

Ask the trainers: Do you have enough money to for training materials?
                           Do you have the support of the organization?
                           How do you identify which employees need training or additional
                                   training?
                            In what tasks should the employee be trained?

Supervisors:    For what jobs can training make a difference in product quality and/or  
                        customer service.

Managers/owners: Does this company have the employees with the skills necessary to
                                 compete in the market place?
                              What facets of the business need more training than the others? How
                                   do you know?
                               Are there any threats to you talent base? What are they?

Employees:   Do you know the basics of your job?
                      Do you feel like there are any areas of your job that you do not know?

Customers: How is the customer service and quality of goods with this company?
                   If you could change anything about this company what would it be? Do you
                     think it could benefit for additional training?


Documents or Records: 

The documents or records that I would ask to see are the average daily sales per department. I would ask to see yearly sales figures and tie those sales figures into customer satisfaction surveys. I would also ask for the summary of focus group sessions. Lastly, I wold ask to see employee training records and secret shopper data and sanitation grades.

Techniques:

First of all I would use observation because it generates data relevant to the work environment and minimizes the interruption of the employees' work. Then I would employ questionnaires because data from questionnaires can be easily summarized as long as the proper questions were asked. Moreover, depending on the data obtained, I would conduct random  interviews to clarify data points and unexpected issues that may arise. Lastly, I would use focus groups to explore any issues interviews may bring up.

In conclusion, a needs assessment is necessary because training may be incorrectly implemented as a solution to a performance problem. Also, sometimes the method of training is not in line with the objectives. In parallel, some employees may be sent to training programs for which they have not yet acquired the appropriate skills. Lastly, a needs assessment analysis is important because it can save money by aligning training to the expected outcomes and thus can save the organization a lot of money in unnecessary training.

Training Elevator Speech

Training Elevator Speech

Training is very important because learning is not easy. There are many forces that involve training, however since training involves learning many people use mnemonic devices, lists, flashcards, procedures and routines to learn things.

Since training is involved in learning training allows us to reproduce exactly what has been taught, act accordingly to what has been taught and apply learning without variation.

There are also two different ways that training can be administered. Those two ways are that training can be performance-centered or learner-centered. If the training is performance-centered then the training is based on a trainee's performance and if the training is learner-centered it is based upon the individuals or the individuals in a group.

Waiting Tables and Project Management

The Uncontrollable Project

I cannot think of a project that has gotten uncontrollable or one that has suffered from scope creep. However, while reading the text all I could think about was when I waited tables. Moreover, waiting tables is very difficult and the more you have the worse. Of course you want to do a great job because tips are how you make the most if your money. However, if the host is relentless, then making money and doing your job right becomes more and more difficult. This means that you have more and more tables to handle and more demanding customers.

To use my waiting tables experience, I would think that scope creep would come onto a project in much the same way because at first it would not seem like a lot was being added to the project and then all of a sudden, it would seem like the project was out of hand because all of the extra facets were added on.

Unlike in waiting tables, to reduce scope creep, the project manager should create a budget and stick to it. The project manager should also make sure that limits are set so if things are added after a certain deadline then it will have to be approved to be accepted and this way it will not sneak up on the project manager. This will decrease scope creep by only adding the unavoidable scope and weeding out the avoidable scope.

Project Management Resources

When creating a project's schedule, it is very important to consult resources if you are unsure of what to schedule and when. Therefore, I have listed two resources that should help with project management scheduling.

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/estimate-project-costs-after-you-have-estimated-effort-and-duration/6080089

This appears to be a blog post with a lot of pertinent information. This blog suggests that you evaluate effort first. once you have evaluated effort, you can then evaluate the other areas of scheduling. Other suggestions include the need to evaluate both internal and external labor costs as well as the non-labor costs such as travel expenses, materials, and training.

I will use this source to help me with budget and schedule because it provide areas that need to be scheduled and budgeted that I had never thought of before.

http://www.hyperthot.com/pm_cost.htm

This is a great resource because it provides suggestions to the project manager on how to to estimate costs. This can be very challenging even to the the experienced manager. This resource suggests that the manager implement project cost goals. However, most of the time the cost goals are strictly tied to the budget.

This resource also suggests that the manager should look at the history of the cost data and use that data to come up with the estimates. This resource also identifies things that may have been left out once the const estimation is complete. Those things are parts of scope, technical difficulty and changes.

I will use this resource to assist me with estimating costs for my project as well as evaluating how well my estimations will fair to comparable past projects.

The Errors in Communication

In my opinion the best type of communication occurs when you are face to face with someone. of course that type of communication is not always feasible. However, one must realize that if there is any other type of communication that occurs besides face to face communication that it can end up in several misinterpreations.

Also in communication I have had a lot of issues with miscommunication while texting. Many of those times it resulted in everything being negative. Therefore, if you insist on communicating through print, it is imperative that you have several people read it so that they may catch anything that you may have missed. Having people review it can also aid in ambiguous language.

Communicating through a video message can also be effective because the viewers can see the informer and hear them and there may also be text on he video to help to enhance what is being said.

However, in the case of project management, I think that all of the communication channels should be insisted upon. This way, everyone involved in the project can have access to the message that is attempting to be conveyed. Also to avoid conflicts, all messages through all communication channels should be reviewed by several people before they go live.

The Limited Experiment

Actually no project that I have worked on the past has resulted in desired outcomes because most of the programs that I have had have always come across unforeseen circumstances. One instance of a project that did not get the desired outcomes was when I was a biology major. I conducted a lot of experiments but the one that stayed with me the most happened when I grew many different soybean plants in the greenhouse.

There are many factors that need to be taken into account when you grow plants in the greenhouse of which you are not in charge. If you are not in charge, then you have to conduct your experiments based on other people's time. Most of the time, the greenhouse is not open on the weekend and they are not open during lunch hours and if anyone calls in sick then there creates another problem.

In this experiment, I grew plants of three different soybean plants that are indigenous from three different areas of the world. Unfortunately, for this experiment to be successful, the plants need daily around the clock care. However, daily around the clock care could not be attained for the many reasons aforementioned. However, I am not saying that the project was a complete failure because the plants grew unusually. Thus, this unusual growth that was due to atypical growing conditions resulted in unforeseen outcomes.

From what I have learned all of my life, many breakthroughs in science and other disciplines have come about by accident. Therefore, as mentioned earlier, the experiment produced unexpected outcomes because I was using someone else's facility. When you use someone else's facility, you have to abide by their rules and operating times. This can make it almost impossible to conduct a variety of experiments-- especially those that require daily and around the clock care.

In order to make the project/experiment more successful, I could have chosen to study different types of soybeans that did not require so much attention, or chosen to study a different plant altogether. If I would have taken into account these instances then the limitations of the experimental environment would not have been such a factor.

Perceptions in Distance Learning, A Reflection

Distance education has definitely increased in popularity in my lifetime. Perhaps, it has really grown in popularity in the United States because of the wide availability of the Internet. When the scholar first took an online course, he did not know what to expect. He had heard that online classes were easy and he had heard that online courses were hard. He had even heard that that the online courses were much more challenging because they have to prove their credibility in the education world. All of the above assumptions have been true, the scholar has had courses that were very easy and those who have been extremely challenging (some to the point where they should have split the course in half). However, no matter the situation, the online course space has continued to grow in popularity over the years. 

In the future, the perceptions of distance learning will be equal to the perceptions of traditional learning. This prediction was made because in ten to twenty years the current users of technology are in the middle schools. Therefore, they are more comfortable with online communication technologies and will be less apprehensive about taking a course online. According to Dr. Seimens (2011), there is a growing acceptance of distance education because of the increase in online communication, practical experience with the new communication tools and the growing comfort with online learning. Moreover, the future of distance education will be impacted by new communication technologies, contributions from experts around the world, and increased use of multimedia games and simulations.

An instructional designer can be a proponent for distance learning by developing courses with the utmost integrity and creditability. The instructional designer must also train facilitators appropriately so they administer courses effectively and uphold the integrity of the online courses. Dr. Seimens (2011) also says that if people try one online course that the online course forum becomes the preferred way in which people prefer to get their education because the more that people take online courses and use other forms of online communications the more they become more comfortable with online course formats.

It is also worth noting that many skeptics are against distance learning because they do not feel like the faculty facilitators are not fully involved in the learning process (Gambescia & Paolucci, 2009). This is due to the fact that many of the facilitators are part-time and work on other jobs. Therefore, skeptics feel like the students are not getting the maximum learning opportunities from the online course format. Moreover, according to Schmidt & Gallegos (2001), the problem with the integrity of online courses is due to the conversion of the course from the traditional course. If the transition is not made correctly, students will be able to get by without doing much work or they will be confused in the direction of the course and what they should get out of it.

The scholar, in conclusion, will be a positive force in the field of instructional design by designing courses that challenge students but not to the extent that they feel overwhelmed like the courses that seem to be too rushed. Courses that seem too rushed may need to be split in half or given over an extended period. The scholar, will also share his experiences with online courses and continue to research popular trends in online courses and experiment with ways on incorporating those new research methods into his online courses that he creates and share his findings with his peers. Perhaps, this would help to create more advocates for distance learning and decrease the amount of skeptics.

References

Gambescia, S., & Paolucci, R. (2009). Academic fidelity and integrity as attributes of university online degree program offerings. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 1 2(1). Retrieved from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/ojdla/spring121/gambescia121.html

Laureate, Inc. (Producer). (2011). The future of distance education [Video]. Available from Walden University.

Schmidt, E., & Gallegos, A. (2001). Distance learning: Issues and concerns of distance learners. Journal of Industrial Technology, 17(3). Retrieved from http://atmae.org/jit/Articles/schmidt041801.pdf .

Converting to an Online Format

Converting to an Online Learning Format

Introduction

There are many things that a designer must consider before he or she attempts to edit a course. In the case of the designer who is trying to move from a more of a traditional course to a blended course, there are many things that should be considered. The first thing that should be considered are pre-planning strategies. According to Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, & Zvacek (2012), pre-planning strategies include revisiting the technologies used, the structure of the syllabus, the changes in active learning, and the ways in which learners collaborate. After the pre-planning strategies have been implemented the designer will find out what aspects of the course can be enhanced by the distance learning format. The designer will be able to find out what aspects of the distance learning format will do better on a distance learning format and what aspects will not by either conducting their own research or drawing conclusions from other people's reputable research. When the designer finally draws conclusions from research, they may have to test certain items to see if they really enhance the objectives of the course.
Other aspects that must be addressed when editing a course and changing the course format, is the different definition as his role as a trainer that needs to be adjusted as the move is made from the traditional classroom to the blended format as well as the ways in which people communicate online.

Pre-planning Strategies

1. The designer must identify the learners (Simonson, et al., 2012). This means that they must evaluate the competencies of the learners. The designer should address whether the blended format will benefit the learners. By doing this, the designer has inadvertently analyzed the general abilities of the class and analyzed the potential for learner interactivity. Also, according to Dede (2005), learning styles should also be addressed.

2. The designer must also evaluate the course content (Simonson, et. al., 2012). This means that the course content must meet the course objectives. This seems simple but some people get tangled in trying to make a course look impressive and they lose site of the objectives. Thus, the designer should set goals and objectives and keep referring to them as a system of checks and balances throughout the entire course planning process.

3. Next the designer, should consider what teaching strategies should be used (Simonson, et. al., 2012). Teaching strategies should be considered due to feedback from facilitators and students. The environment where the learning takes place also influences the teaching strategies. The learning environment includes technology and resources.

Distance Learning Course Enhancement

In a blended course format, the area of that can be enhanced the most is collaboration and discussion. There is plenty of time for people to collaborate when they meet in person during the regular class time, but during the time outside of class they can continue to collaborate by such methods as an online discussion forum or via live chat. According to Simonson, et. al. (2012), both synchronous and asynchronous communication are enhanced by the distance learning environment.

Through synchronous communication the instructor is able to facilitate the class via live lectures and for those students who cannot be present due to geographic variations, the lectures can be recorded and archived for later viewing or for extended viewing. However, in an asynchronous learning environment, the discussion forum is heavily relied upon because participants are able to visit the classroom online at any time (Simonson, et. al., 2012). This possibly works best when the students are spread throughout many different time zones.

The Role of the Trainer

In a blended course format, it would seem that the role of the trainer becomes more of a facilitator (Siemens, 2008). According to Simonson, et. al. (2012), a facilitator is a person who has been hired to be a local contact for students, whether it is online or in the traditional classroom. Therefore, since the trainer is making more of a transition to a facilitator, he should take into consideration the following questions:

1. What will his new role in the class be since it is blended and not completely in a brick and mortar classroom?

2. Can other facilitators assist with the entire learning process?

3. What are his capabilities for orchestrating the course? Would he benefit from the expertise of others to help benefit the course objectives?
All of these considerations help to draw the conclusion that the trainer becomes more of a facilitator in an online course format.

Encouraging Online Communication

To encourage students to have meaningful conversation and debates the facilitator can point out exemplary discussion threads and explain why they are exemplary (Belderrain, 2006). The facilitator can also give an example of what they expect within a discussion post as well as a thread and set up rules for the discussion thread (Simonson et. al., 2012). This is important because rules are necessary for the students to get the intended outcomes from the discussion. Also, according to edtechleaders.org (2008), the facilitator also must obey the following rules to encourage effective online communication:
1. The establishment of clear goals

2. Provide behind-the-scenes support via email

3. Foster communication between participants

4. Create a comfortable environment

5. Model participation and discussion techniques

6. Keep the discussion lively

7. Keep discussion on-topic

8. Guide students through curriculum

9. Make sure the curriculum is in sync with the audience

10. Bring closure to each session before moving on

Conclusion

In conclusion, the when a trainer makes the transition from a traditional online classroom to, there are many things to consider to make the best possible edit. As mentioned earlier, those things include pre-planning strategies which include items such as evaluating the course objectives as well as the demographics of the learner. Once the pre-planning strategies have been implemented, the trainer must decide which aspects on the course would be enhanced by the online course experience. This can be a daunting task, however, the trainer can go based on his past experience or base choices on the research of others.

On the other hand, once the trainer has implemented the transition from brick and mortar to the blended course format, the trainer must also examine his role of the trainer because especially in the online format, the trainer is more of a facilitator and the students learn more independently than in a traditional format. Lastly, the trainer must make sure that effective communication is taking place across both platforms.


References

Beldarrain, Y. (2006). Distance education trends: Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration. Distance Education, 27(2), 139–153.

Dede, C. (2005). Planning for neomillennial learning styles. Educause Quarterly, 28(1),7–12.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

Ten Tips for Effective Online Facilitation (2008). Retrieved from http://www.edtechleaders.org/documents/opd/ETLO_Ten_Tips.htm.

Impact of Open Courseware

The course that I am reviewing is called Roman Architecture. http://oyc.yale.edu/history-art/hsar-252#sessions. According to Kolowich (2011), open courses can be just as valuable to those who are not paying for the class as those who are paying for the class. Moreover, every week in my distance learning course I learn something new because I did not previously know the scale how many free elite-quality courses there are out there. In parallel, the quality of this Roman Architecture course seems to be very high because the course seems to be preplanned and designed for the distance learning environment.

Preplanning is very important while designing a course because it provides a blueprint for the instructional designer so that he or she will not get off task while deciding what content to include and what content to leave out of a course. According to Beldarrain (2006), when a designer plans the blueprint for a course, they must more often than not also plan for what technologies to include and which ones to leave out. This is very important because in current with the ultra rapid growth of technology, it appears that technology is the driving force of education and other facets of society.

In this course, the syllabus is the blueprint for not only what items are included in the course for the instructional designer but also the expectations and the requirements of the course from the students. The technology included in the course is also very basic. The lectures are videos of the professors. It would most like be advantageous to use such simple technologies because then the designer will not have to question whether the majority of students would be able to access the content since minimal computer competencies seem to be an unspoken prerequisite.

According to Simonson, et. al. (2012), there are many facets that are recommended when pertaining to online instruction creation. Some of these items are creating active learning experiences, requiring high expectations of students and allowing many ways for the students and instructors to collaborate online. This can be done by carefully organizing the instruction according to course objectives, as well as by having a clear and concise syllabus. The syllabus is very important in creating online courses because not only does it provide the expectations of the course and the facilitator, but it also ensures communication. Thus, it becomes the governing document should their be a problem that may arise in the course.

In this course, the idea of an active learning environment is entertained because it does allow students to collaborate via an online study group. Assessment is taken care of in two facets because traditional papers and exams are required but it also allows the students to evaluate the course and the instructor as well via the survey link. Also, there is a clear and concise syllabus that is provided should there be any question of course expectations. However, it does not appear that the designer included course activities that would maximize active learning for students because all that appears to be included is the option to join a study group, but other than this option, this aspect of the course is very bland and could be improved.



References
Beldarrain, Y. (2006, August). Distance education trends: Integratingnew technologies to foster studentinteraction and collaboration. Distance Education, 27(2), 139-153. doi:doi:10.1080/01587910600789498.

Kolowich, S. (2011). Open courseware 2.0. Retrieved from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/12/13/stanfords-open-courses-raise-questions-about-true-value-elite-education#.TudTMKHIq1g.email.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

Distance Learning: Interactive Tours

Not too long ago, one would have thought that it was impossible to be in one location and interact with another location whether the distance was near or far. Therefore in the case of the teacher on the west coast of the United States who would like her students to take an interactive virtual tour of prominent art museums in New York City, many distance learning opportunities allow her students to take on this opportunity. Two distance learning opportunities that will be discussed in this blog are podcasts and multimedia sharing sites.

According to Laureate (n.d.), a podcast is can be presented in various forms. Podcasts are also frequently updated. Laureate also suggests that podcasts be used to enhance research. Thus, in the case of the teacher on the west coast who would like her students to see exhibits on the east coast, a good use of a podcast would be an updated video of a museum curator walking through the museum exhibits and talking about them. The museum curator could also record an audio version just in case video capabilities are not available. This idea could also be effective because the students and teacher could pause, fast forward and rewind if they feel like they need to review something that was already shown or spoken. As a side note, the majority of podcasts are audio files. However, I have come across video podcasts throughout my recent years as a student.

An example of podcasts enhancing the virtual tour is located on the National Museum of the US Air Force website (2012). On this website, several professionals of the Air Force author audio podcasts that enable the listener the visualize what is being said as they tour the museum from anywhere in the world that has access to the podcasts.

Yet another example showcasing the effectiveness of podcasts in the distance learning virtual tours experience is in tourism itself. In this case, the island of Rottnest uses podcasts in its advertising ventures to entice tourists. Access to these podcasts is given at rottnestisland.com (2012).

While a podcast limits a virtual tour to mostly audio which some video podcasts available here and there, multimedia sharing sites, enable all media to be shared wherever there is a connection to the Internet. According to Laureate (2012), multimedia websites are those that facilitate the sharing of all things media. Examples of multimedia sharing websites are Youtube, Flickr, and Slideshow. However, a major drawback to a multimedia sharing website such as the aforementioned, would be concerns of privacy since once something is posted on the Internet, it rarely goes away.

In the case of the teacher on the west coast, Flickr would be best used as a survey of all of the exhibits in the museum before concentrating on a just a couple. An example of a successful virtual tour on Flickr is that of Westminster Hall (2012). This is successful because the pictures give the survey and then on the bottom there is a link to a video feed that enables a real-time video virtual tour.

On the other hand, the west coast teacher can also use YouTube to give her students the virtual tours of the museums. One thing to note about Youtube is that most of the items posted are videos with audio and the primary user of that account has the ability to make the videos private so that they do not get into the wrong hands. A great example of a prolific virtual tour using YouTube is on BYU' virtual tours YouTube channel (2012). The virtual tours noted here are on a broad scale, meaning that they survey the campus of Brigham Young University, while others only tour specific landmarks at the university.

In conclusion, I would suggest that the teacher utilize a blend of all of the technologies mentioned in order to deliver the best experience of a virtual tour possible. This is important because some students may not be familiar with the subject matter. With this unfamiliarity, sometimes words cannot give the full explanation to clarify. Therefore, audio and video clips can explain what words cannot. An excellent example of this idea occurred during my student teaching experience. I was teaching fourth grade and we were doing a unit on carnivorous plants. Since I live in Las Vegas, the land is very dry, however, the plants being studied grew in marshes and swamps. So to give the students a better understanding of these saturated lands, I found a couple of online videos of those plants in their natural habitats and showed them to the class.

References

BYU. (Producer). (2012). BYU virtual tours [Video]. Available from YouTube.

Laureate. (Producer). (2012). The technology of distance education [Interactive Multimedia]. Available from Walden University.

Museum podcasts. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/podcasts/index.asp

Rottnest island podcasts. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.rottnestisland.com/about/podcasts-videos-and-virtual-tours

Wetminster hall virtual tour. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/uk_parliament/sets/72157607245529403/

Mind Map of Distance Learning

My Definition of Distance Learning

Before I started this course, I always thought of distance learning as being just as being a matter of convenience. That is basically true, but I also thought that distance learning was a faster and easy way to get a degree. That is a complete misconception that distance learning is easier than the traditional classroom. Many people still see distance learning as being perhaps easier. However, one has to experience the distance education platform to realize that the formal distance education platform is equivalent if not more stringent than the traditional classroom. Moreover, my definition of distance learning before starting this course was just that, learning at a distance. Learning at a distance can take place online or any other medium-- including correspondence through the mail.

However, after reading the resources for the course this week, my definition of distance learning has changed and has become more specific. The definition of distance learning continues to change because technology continues to change the media on which distance learning can take place. Therefore, my revised definition of distance learning is institution-based formal education where the learning group is separated and where interactive telecommunication systems are to connect learners and instructors (Simonson, et al. 2012). This definition incorporates with mine because it defines distance learning as more that just a separation of the teachers and students. It goes on further to say that intellectual separation occurs. According to Simonson, et. al. (2012), intellectual separation basically means that the teacher knows the concepts to be taught and the students do not. Therefore, the distance learning medium will be utilized to decrease this separation.

Distance learning is also institution-based. This does not necessarily mean that the institution has to be a University or a school. However, in modern societies, the institutions can also be corporate as well. In parallel, the fact that distance learning is seen as being institution-based separates it from just being a self-study. Also, many companies are putting their trainings online and asking their employees to complete them at their convenience by a deadline.

As I have mentioned earlier, as the medium over which distance learning occurs changes, then the whole definition of distance education will continue to change. However, Simonson (2011) says that no matter how popular distance education is, it will never replace the traditional classroom. What Simonson and others think will happen is that distance education will enhance traditional classrooms. For example, in the future, more and more classrooms will be able to take virtual fieldtrips as a result of advancements in distance learning (USDLA, 2009). The best part about this is that the classrooms will be able to use their current resources to take their virtual fieldtrips. Therefore, for the most part let alone subscription fees, no other money will need to be spent for this type of distance learning experience.

References

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson

Laureate, Inc. (Producer). (2011). Distance education: The next generation [Vodcast]. Available from Walden University.

United States Distance Learning Association. (2010). usdla.org